Drone threat in Finland in May was caused by mistake on Ukraine’s part, - media
The drone threat that led to a recommendation to remain in shelters in the Uusimaa region of Finland in mid-May may have been caused by an error in the programming of Ukrainian drones.
According to Censor.NET, citing a report by "European Truth," the newspaper Helsingin Sanomat learned of this from sources.
Ukraine itself warned of the threat
According to sources, Ukraine itself issued a warning overnight that it had accidentally sent drones toward Finland. The drones were equipped with explosives.
Drones used for strikes are typically programmed with the target’s coordinates and the coordinates of waypoints that determine the drone’s route. Errors can occur here. This is exactly what may have happened in Ukraine on the eve of May 15.
Drones have yet to enter Finnish airspace
According to the Finnish Defense Forces, the drones never entered Finnish airspace. The reason for this is unknown. It is possible that Russian air defense shot down the drones en route.
The public has been given very little information about the drone threat in Uusimaa compared to the incident in March, when Ukrainian drones crashed in Kymenlaakso.
As the newspaper notes, new information is changing our understanding of the events that took place two weeks ago. The Ministry of the Interior ordered all residents of Uusimaa to remain in shelters due to the threat posed by drones. This recommendation affected 1.8 million residents of the region and led to the suspension of air traffic.
President Alexander Stubb, Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, and Defense Minister Antti Hykkänen declined to comment on the matter.
Last week, Stubb generally stated that he does not believe Russia is attempting to direct drones toward Finland. Stubb based his opinion on information he received from the Armed Forces and the Air Force.
On May 28, the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Russian ambassador after a Russian aircraft may have violated Finnish airspace.
